In a mud circulation system, a plurality of sensors may be implemented for sensing mud properties at the surface and downhole. The sensors may include pressure sensors, stroke counters, flow sensors, viscosity sensors, density sensors, and the like at multiple surface and downhole locations. Many sensors including viscosity sensors and the various sensors designed to be implemented downhole are expensive. Additionally, as more sensors are added to a mud circulation system, the amount of data collected, the required communication bandwidth, and the processing power to analyze the data may grow exponentially.
It should be understood, however, that the specific embodiments given in the drawings and detailed description thereto do not limit the disclosure. On the contrary, they provide the foundation for one of ordinary skill to discern the alternative forms, equivalents, and modifications that are encompassed together with one or more of the given embodiments in the scope of the appended claims.